Nigerian fraud ring busted by Simi Valley Police

Simi Valley police detectives arrested four suspects on May 24 for fraud following a six-week investigation into a Nigerian fraud ring, Simi Valley Police said Tuesday.

Through the investigation detectives learned the suspects allegedly possessed credit information stolen in the United States and Mexico. The information was used to fraudulently obtain credit cards, according to police.

In late March 2012 a female suspect allegedly used fraudulent credit cards to obtain Target gift cards at a Target store located at 51 Tierra Rejada Road in Simi Valley. The gift cards were worth several thousand dollars, according to police.

Police allege several transaction of this nature in Simi Valley and across Southern California. Detectives determined the four suspects, each of Nigerian origin, were working together while living in Los Angeles County. The suspects allegedly traveled to Ventura, San Diego, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties to commit similar crimes.

Police said known credit losses amounted to $2 million.

Detectives served a search warrant in the San Fernando Valley and one in Los Angeles near Inglewood and arrested the four suspects without incident.

Police recovered children's clothing with tags attached, about 15 iPads, most still in boxes, and more than $100,000 cash.